May 2026 Monthly Jobs Report

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 3,400 jobs in May 2026, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent. Private industry employment increased by 2,400 jobs and government employment increased by 1,000 jobs. Over the year, there was an increase of 1,600 jobs from May 2025 to May 2026, and the unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point, from 4 percent in May 2025 to 3.8 percent in May 2026.

EMPLOYMENT

Missouri's nonfarm payroll employment was 2,996,800 in May 2026, up by 3,400 from the revised April 2026 figure. The April 2026 total was revised downward by 700 jobs from the preliminary estimate.

Private service-providing industries increased by 2,000 jobs between April 2026 and May 2026. Employment in private service-providing industries increased in private education and health services (2,100 jobs); leisure and hospitality (1,900 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (1,500 jobs); other services (200 jobs); and information (100 jobs). Employment decreased in financial activities (-2,100 jobs) and professional and business services (-1,700 jobs). Total government employment increased by 1,000 jobs over the month, with increases in state (900 jobs) and local government (100 jobs). Goods-producing industries increased by 400 jobs over the month, with mining, logging, and construction gaining 800 jobs and manufacturing declining by 400 jobs.

Over the year, total payroll employment increased by 1,600 jobs from May 2025 to May 2026. Employment gains over the year were in mining, logging, and construction (7,500 jobs); private education and health services (7,300 jobs); leisure and hospitality (4,000 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (1,400 jobs); and information (100 jobs). Employment decreased in manufacturing (-5,800 jobs); financial activities (-2,200 jobs); professional and business services (-1,900 jobs); and other services (-600 jobs). Government employment decreased by 8,200 jobs over the year, with decreases in federal (-5,000 jobs), state (-1,900 jobs), and local government (-1,300 jobs).

UNEMPLOYMENT

Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent in May 2026, the same as the revised April 2026 rate. The May 2026 rate was two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the May 2025 rate. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 119,325 in May 2026, down by 2,523 from April's 121,848.

The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.4 percent in May 2026. A year ago, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 3.9 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for May 2026 was 4.1 percent.

Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.4 percent in May 2026, 1.6 percentage points higher than the national rate of 61.8 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61 percent in May 2026, 1.8 percentage points higher than the national rate of 59.2 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in May 2026, half of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than 11 years.

Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report.